Heel-breasting machine.



Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

i Q 1 l l M WW 3 a r numu J. H. RICHARDSON,

HEEL BREASTING MACHINE. APPLICATION HLED DEC-8.1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. RICHARDSON, 0F MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

I-IEEL-BREASTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN H. RICHARDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Melrose, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Heel-Breasting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates, to heel breasting machines and particularly to breasting stops or hunters for such machines. The function of the breasting stop is to limit relative movement of the shoe and the breasting knife and prevent injury to the shank of the shoe when the action of the knife in severing a chip from the breast portion of the heel has been completed. In power operated machines the breasting stop is usually connected to mechanism which causes the knife to be disconnected from its operating mechanism when the stop comes in contact with the shank.

It is desirable that the stop be arranged to contact with the shank as near the heel breast as is possible without interference with the chip or the action of the knife in severing the chip, because at this point the pressure of the stop has less tendency to displace the shoe which is often supported at the heel end only and the curvature of shanks at this point is more nearly uniform both laterally and longitudinally of the shoe. The amount of leather to be removed from the heel breast by the breasting operation varies in different styles of shoes and of heels and under difierent manufacturing conditions so that a stop which is arrangedto contact at a given distance from the knife while satisfactory for one class of work may not be at all suited for another class of work or to meet different conditions. It is usual to provide separate stops which are constructed to contact with the shank at different distances from the knife. Obviously, however, the finer gradations of adjustment cannot be obtained in this manner and a change from one stop to another is inconvenient.

The stops heretofore in use have either engaged the mid portion of the shank or have been wide enough to extend across the entire Width of the shank. In either case when arranged too close to the heel they offer a serious obstacle to the severance of the chip and may contact with the unsevered lower lifts of the heel and arrest the action of the knife before the breasting cut is completed, thus necessitating the change of the stop for another which does not can tend so far toward the heel with the consequent annoyance and delay. 'For the best results, therefore, the stop should comprise shank engaging members to contact only with the lateral margins of the shank, the members being spaced apart to provide an opening between them and permit the chip to be moved outwardly by the knife without being interfered with bv the stop. A stop thus arranged exerts pressure against the margins of the shank and tends to bend the shank into conformity with the lateral curvature of the last and can be located much closer to the line where the cut of the knife ends than a stop which engages or extends across the central portion of the shoe shank. Since the shanks of shoes vary greatly in width it is desirable to provide means for varying the location of the shank engaging members so that they will engage the marginal portions only of wide and narrow shanks. There is also considerable variation in the lateral inclination of the shank as a whole and it is desirable that the stop accommodate itself to this lateral inclination when it occurs and that it return to normal position after being displaced by an inclined shank.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a shank stop which will meet the requirements and obviate the objections above set forth.

A feature of the invention comprises a stop for contact with the shank which is so constructed as to be capable of adjustment relatively to the knife longitudinally of the shoe and may be set at the distance from the knife which the nature of the work demands.

Another feature of the invention comprises members constructed and arranged for contact with the shank of a shoe, and means for effecting adjustment of the members laterally of the shank so that they will bear on the marginal portions only of shanks of various widths. Preferably, and as shown, the shank engaging members are mounted on a support in spaced relation to shank.

provide between them clearance for the chip severed by the knife. Also as shown the shank engaging members are movable relatively to their support so that the position of their lower ends laterally of the shoe may be varied to suit different widths of The amount of curvature of the shank varies in different shoes, the narrower shank usually having the greater curvature. In the construction shown the shank engaging members are arranged for pivotal movement to vary the angular positions of the shank contacting faces of the members in a vertical plane so that as they are adjusted toward each other they are positioned for a shank of greater curvature.

Another feature of the invention consists in a stop arranged for tipping movement about an axis extending longitudinally of the shank and above it to permit the stop to bear evenly upon shanks having as a whole different lateral inclinations together with means for maintaining the contacting faces of the shank stop normally in horizontal position.

These and other features of the invention will appear more fully from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 represents a heel breasting machine equipped with a breasting stop embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of the inner side of the stop, the stop arm being shown in section; and

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the stop partly in section.

For the purpose of illustration the step will be explained in connection with a breasting machine of the type shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,0803? 6, granted December 2, 1913, on application of Ralph C. Simmons. It is to be understood, however, that the mechanism embodying this invention is of general applicability to machines for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes in which a shank contacting member or rest is desirable.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, 1 indicates the frame of the machine. A knife carrier 3 is mounted for vertical reciprocation in the upper portion of the frame. The knife carrier is provided with a counterbalancing spring 5 and is reciprocated "by connections with an actuator which is reciprocated vertically adjacent to the rear face of the knife carrier by a connecting rod attached to a crank 7 on a power driven shaft which is operated through a one revolution clutch of usual type. The clutch is tripped by downward pressure on a treadle 9. The shoe is supported on'a jack of a usual construction beneath a tread plate 11.

The tread plate is mounted on a slide 13 which is connected to a lever 15 pivoted at 17 and having resilient connection through a spring 21 with a rod 19 which is connected with the treadle 9. The shoe to be breasted is placed upon the jack and swung beneath the tread plate 11 which is then lowered to press resiliently upon the tread face of the heel by pressure upon the treadle 9. The shoe having been properly positioned relatively to the tread plate, the treadle 9 is depressed farther which movement operates the clutch to start the machine. The knife carrier 3 is thereupon operated downwardly to carry the knife 21 through the heel until the stop 28, 30 which is carried downwardly with the knifecomes in contact with the shank of the shoe whereupon the stop arm 23 will be operated to disconnect the knife from its actuator and arrest its cutting action. For a more complete description of the mechanism associated with the lever 23 for arresting the knife reference may be had to United States Letters Patent No. 1,053,641, granted February 18, 1913, on application of Joseph H. Pope.

The mechanism of the stop in which the present invention is embodied is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The stop arm 23 of the machine is provided with a T-shaped guideway in which a slide 4 may be adjusted vertically by means of a worm 8 which engages suitably formed teeth in the front face of the slide i. A member 10 forming the stop support is pivoted to the rear face of the slide 42 on a pin 14 which is fixed in the slide, the member 10 being held on the pin 14: by a screw 6. The upper face of the pin 14 is flattened and is engaged by a plunger 16 mounted in the member 10 and backed by a spring 20. The pressure of the spring plunger on the flat side of the pin 14 maintains the support 10 normally in upright position. At the upper end of the support 10 and forming part thereof is a split clamp 12 tightened by a screw 22. A cylindrical block 24 is fitted in the split clamp and is slotted at 26 to receive the upper ends of shank engaging stop members 28, 30. The members 28, 30 have inwardly projecting upper ends and are pivoted to the block 24; at 32, 34. It will be seen that the spring plunger 16 by maintaining the support 10 in upright position holds the lower ends of the stop members 28, 30 normally substantially parallel with the shoe shank but permits the pressure of the stop members upon the shank to be equalized by movement of the stop about the pin 1st in case one stop member comes into firm engagement with the shank before the other as may occur when the sole leather is thicker on one side of the shank than on the other or when the general plane of the shank is inclined to the horizontal.

The spring plunger 16 will of course return I toothed ends of the members 28, 30 to swing them about their pivots 32, 84 and consequently move their lower ends toward and from each other laterally of the shoe. The lower ends of the members are preferably provided with shank engaging pads 44 of leather or other suitable material. The curvature of a narrow shank is greater than the curvature of a wide shank and as the pads 44 are adjusted toward each other the angular positions of their work engaging faces in a vertical plane are changed to correspond with the increased lateral inclination of the marginal portions of narrow shanks as will be clear from a comparison of the full and dotted line positions shown in Fig. 3.

Since the members 28, 30 are mounted in the cylindrical block 24 which is rotatable in the split clamp 12 about its longitudinal axis, the pads 44 may be adjusted toward .and from the heel by swinging the members 28, 80 about that axis. The clamp 12 is slotted at 25, Fig. 2, to permit movement of the stud 40 with the block 24 and the members 28, 30. After the lateral and longitudinal adjustments of the pads 44 have been effected for a given kind of work, the clamp screw 22 is tightened and the split clamp springs the slotted block 24 sufficiently to grip the engaging faces of the members 28, 30 to hold them against movement and at the same time clamps the adjusting stud 40 against rotation. The clamp also holds the block 24 against rotation and hence maintains the longitudinal adjustment of the shank engaging members 28, 30.

In the operation of the machine the shoe is placed upon the support in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the heel under the tread plate 11. The treadle 9 is partially depressed to bring the tread plate against the heel with light pressure, the front edge of the plate indicating the line where the knife will engage the tread face of the heel. The clamp screw 22 is loosened and the shank contacting members 28, 30 .are set toward or from each other by turning the screw stud 40 until they are so located as to engage the marginal portions of the shank and the members 28, 30 are then swung with the cylindrical block 24 toward or from the knife to bring them as close to the knife as the chip to be removed from the heel will permit. The clamp screw 22 is then tightened to maintain both adjustments securely. The

.treadle is further depressed to trip the clutch whereupon the knife descends forcing the chip away from the heel toward and under certain conditions between the members 28, 30 which descend with the knife until they engage the shank. The slide 4 and stop members 28, 30 have been so adjusted by means of the worm 8 that when this occurs the knife has nearly finished its breastingsure on the two margins and when their further movement is finally arrested by the shoe they react upon the lever 23 to cause the knife to be disconnected from its actuating mechanism in a manner well understood in this art. The knife actuator finishes its downward stroke idly and upon its return.

stroke restores the knife, stop and other parts to their initial positions and the machine stops.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a heel breasting machine, the c0mbination with a knife constructed and arranged for reciprocation to remove a chip from the heel breast, of a stop comprising;

members adapted to engage the marginal portions of the shank near the breast and arranged to provide an unobstructed space extending to the shank between the members to accommodate the chip removed by- .the knife.

2. In a heel breasting machine, the combination with a knlfe constructed and arranged for reciprocatlon to remove a chip from the heel breast, of a stop comprising.

marginal portions thereof, of means for ad--,

justing said members laterally of the shoe for wide or narrow shanks.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a heel breasting knife, a shank stop arranged to contact with the shank of a shoe in front of the heel, and means permitting adjustment of the stop relatively to the knife toward and from the heel and adapted to hold the stop in adjusted position.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a heel breasting knife, a shank stop mounted for movement about an axis extending longitudinally of the shoe, means constructed and arranged to permit selfadjustment of the shank engaging faces of the stop to the general lateral inclination of the shoe shank, and means for returning the stop to normal position after displacement of the stop by an inclined shank.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of members pivoted a substantial distance above the shank of a shoe and having pads at their lower ends to contact with the marginal portions of the shank, and means for adjusting the members about their pivots to vary the angular relation of the contacting faces of the pads in accordance with the variations in curvature of Wide and narrow shanks.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a shank stop constructed and arranged for adjustment to vary its lateral extent and for adjustment to vary its position longitudinally of the shoe, and common means for locking the stop to maintain both of said adjustments.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a breasting knife, of a shank stop constructed and arranged to engage a shoe shank on the opposite lateral margins of the shank and mounted for movement about an axis ext-ending longitudinally of the shoe for self-accommodation to the general lateral inclinations of shoe shanks, and means for maintaining the shank engaging faces of the stop normally horizontal.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support, members mounted for pivotal movement relatively to the support and having their ends arranged for contact with the shank of a shoe, and means for effecting and maintaining adjustment of the members about their pivots to vary the distance of separation of the members to correspond with the different widths of shanks.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a support, a slotted block mounted on said support, stop members movably mounted in the slot of said block for equal and opposite adjustment, and means for clamping the block to lock the members against adjustive movement.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stop support, a slotted block mounted in said support, stop members pivoted in the slot of said block, and means for clamping the block to lock the members against movement about their pivots.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stop support, a block mounted on said support, shank engaging members mounted in said block and having inwardly extending toothed ends, a stud' mounted for rotation upon the block between said ends, having peripheral ribs to engage said teeth and a portion threaded into the block, and means for clamping the block against the stud to hold the stud from rotation.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a stop support, a slotted block mounted in said support, shank engaging membersv pivoted in said slot and having inwardly extending toothed ends, a stud mounted for rotation in the block between said ends having peripheral ribs to engage said teeth and a portion threaded into the block, and means for springing the slotted block against said stud and said members to maintain them in adjusted position.

14:. In a machine, of the class described, the combination of a stop support, a block mounted for movement on said support.

about an axis extending transversely of the shoe, shank engaging members mounted on the block and movable therewith for adjustment longitudinally of the shoe, and means on the support for holding the block against movement.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stop support, a cylindrical block mounted for rotation in said support about its axis of curvature, downwardly extending shank engaging members mounted in the block and movable therewith for adjustment longitudinally of the shoe, and clamping means on the support for holding the block against rotation.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN H. RICHARDSON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentl. Washington, D. 0. 

